Utilization of the energy of tides, waves, or currents



UTILIZATION OF THE ENERGY 0F TIDES, WAVES, OR CURRENTS Filed'Oct. 4, 1926- 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JCCU/fl/l/i Torr {l /wcr/m 5/1 /4415 I l fi 7 z i i j .5

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STEAM I s uPfRf/EA rel? P. sHlsHKoFF UTILIZATION OF THE ENERGY OF TIDES, WAVES, OR CURRBNTS July 1, 1930.

Filed Oct. 4, 1926 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 1; souncs 'br kHz/my ARIABLE L040 fwm 6 /'10 VI FAICYION 6O ILER 711KB 0 3 754: came. rag

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$754M. BaaSTEA F550 Pam uPE/PZE s/r C'ONDE/YS E I? Pump T/DA'L RIVER v 0/? Patented July-1 193C ev sesewer; eFW- smmme L N mm vers z -nee m new mel W V on smear Application filed Qctgber 1926, Sieiial-No. 139,594, and in Great Britain M e-rs, 1925.-

hi invention re ates o appara us or t e utilization of sources of hydraulic power such a t e Wa s or cur-re sand has for i obje t an improved fo m ofiappara us r s na ing, e ene gy i su h so rce o be t li d f rti e p odu t o of large qu t ie f tea w c maybe employed f va iou nu tp w We Acco ding to the i vention h apparatu 1 Qmii ises a Water mot r d v from a s urc f hy aul e' power, a fri t on device r eice riv by e Wate mot an oving in an equeQ edium,en an e ectric generatq ell' oenect d o aco mon s a t a mean wh re y h heat d vat rp o a d' by he fr t on d vi e s C v e in eam- Th ua ei m or may e c n t t by any mechanical device of suitable character which is capable of being actuated from a Source o hydrau i PQ S Qh as a W t r turbine, ,a wave mill, tide mill, or the like, a d th i ti n dev ce Or devices may somprise propellers, paddles, vanes, or thelike, which are adapted to be. rotated in a liquid 2 medium so as to generate heat which is absorbed by'the medium which may be water.

The energy stored-in the; medium may; by

er in the atte n s eam. be ut lized as and when required tooperatea power transmission or power generatingdevice or in any other convenient manner.

Where it is proposed to utilize the venergy of tides as thesource of hydraulic pro wera dam, breakwater, jetty, pier or the like may be. provided with sluice gates-or'their equivalent which are opened to the incoming tide a wh a e closed a i ide; Wate m or e br d d an lo ed W t in, or n p'm im t O th d m, r t ik so t t a 0' n; e de r ce es, the ater nmate dr e 1 r the fl -e ate f o the i lill l torthe lower level of the water. Alternatively,the sluice gates opened at h g tide sq as t el e th w e t9 flew o gh we moto s i to t e da r eervoirs?) as'to'drive the same, thesamemotors or other water motors being again driven i l th t de a s-by h f-Wat om upperfie v le e f e Wat Ihe r 'erelle ss eve o aaefr ie de heat storagechamber wherein the wateris vvelo ping devices, maybe located within tubes,

reservoirs or heat accumulators situated in a power house or building orresting on or in the dam orthe like and containinga suitable fluid'such as water, which will serve to absorb the heat which is generated. The said tubes, reservoirs or heat accumulators are r suiiiciently strong to resistany desired degree of pressure and are jacketed inanysuit- "able manner to reduce heatvra'diation losses to a minimum. The tubes, reservoirs or heat accumulators maybe provided with valves adapted to open when thepressure therein has risen to a predetermined value-seas to allow the water toescape into an expansion chambenwhere it is converted. into steam, the steam, after being superheated if neces sary, being then utilized in an engine, mechanically, electrically, chemically, T or otherwise. I p Pumps may also be employed for returning to-tlie heat accumulators the water which does not form steam or which is produced 7 by the condensation of the steam in the expansion chamber or'steam generator; r

Alternatively, and insteadof locating the friction generating devices in the heat accumulatorsor storage tubes, I may locate the same within an apparatus which I term a friction boiler, said boiler being constituted by a chamber or chambers containing devices capable of generating heat by friction, said devices being driven by .water motors and revolving in water or some other fluid contained in the said friction boilers. Said boilersmay deliver water at high pressure and temperature to heat storage chambers or accumulators and an expansion chamber or steam generator may beprovided in communication with the converted into steam, the water which does notform steam or-which condenses iiithe said chamber being returned by means of a pump or otherwise to said friction boilers wherein ts t mperature is again aise an the li uid reenters the heat, storage chambers.

Instead of storing up in the form of heat I the Whol at the mec n c l en rgy derived -f t m; the t li a n t des, aves o currents any desired percentage of said mechanical energy can be utilized to drive directly any power generating device such as an electric generator.

To this end, and according to a further feature of the present invention the prime mover is adapted to drive simultaneously through a mechanical connection, such as a shaft, a direct current generator, as also friction devices for transforming mechanical energy into heat energy, the latter being stored up in a heat accumulator and employed as and when required to drive the aforesaid direct current generator by means of a heat engine, or preferably, a separate heat engine such as a turboelectric generator.

Owing to the fact that there is a common mechanical connection between the prime mover, the direct current generator and the friction devices, the power absorbed by the friction devices varies as the cube of the velocity of the prime mover; and it follows that even a small variation of speed will greatly vary the amount of heat energy produced by the friction device.

that which is absorbed by the direct current generator the tendency would be for the velocit of rotation to increase until the excess will e absorbed by the friction devices.

When however the energy from the prime mover begins to fall, less and less ofits available energy will be in excess of the direct current generator elementand the'speed of the prime mover and friction device will fall. It also follows that if the electrical load on the generator falls, its speed will increase and simultaneously there will be an increase in the speed of rotation of the friction devices with a consequent increase in the amount of heat absorbed by the liquid in the accumulator. The friction devices will thus act as an equalizer and control automaticallythe distribution,between the direct current generator and the heat accumulator, of the total energy available from the prime mover.

In order that the said invention may be clearly-understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawing in which .Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a reservoir into which the sea is admittedat high tide, and out of which the water may flow at low tide through power absorbing devices constructed according tothe present invention.

Figure 2 is a partly diagrammatic View showing a power absorbing plant constructed according to the present invention, and

; Figure 3 is a plan view of Figure 2, the heat accumulator being shown in line and dot.

Figure '4' illustrates diagrammatically a "power absorbing plant constructed according to a further embodiment of the present invention; 7

Therefore ifan excess of energy 18 available from the prime mover over Figure 5 is a lay-out of another modified form of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a partly diagrammatic view showing a power absorbing plant constructed according to the present invention, and

Figure 7 is a sectional end view of Figure 6.

Referring to Figures 1, 52 and 3, Gr is a dam which separatesa reservoir H from the sea or from a tidal river I. J is a sluice gate which is opened at high tide to allow water to flow into the reservoir H and at low tide the water is allowed to flow from the reservoir H through a water turbine B, located ina power house K. Th'e turbine B through the shaft 6 drives a friction device C located within the heat accumulator D and a generator of power-absorbing device X connected to an extension 6 of shaft 12 lVhen the temperature and pressure of the Water within the heat accumulator D have been raised to a sufficient extent the water at high pressure and temperature, is allowed to escape, through a reducing valve D, into an expansion chamber or steam generator D where, owing to the reduced pressure prevailing within the said chamber part of the water is converted into steam. The steam enters a steam'superheater D which may be heated in any desired manner, and from thence it passes to the turbo-electric generator E. A steam booster D may also be provided. L is a circulating pump for removing the water which does not form steam and which accumulates in the lower part of the steam generator D and returning the same through a lagged pipe L to the heat accumulator D. L is a feed pump for supplying water to the heat accumulator D to replace the water which is removed in the form of 'steam'from the heat accumulator D. The circulating pump L and the feed pump L are driven by electric motors L and L. The heat accumulator D is in the form of a cylindrical steel tank with hemispherical ends and its volume is sufiiciently large in comparison with its exterior surface that lagging of insulation D of from 4 to 6 inches in thickness is sufficient to reduce the heat losses to a negligible amount. The energy stored up in the form of heat in the accumulator D is released as and when required in the form of steam, thus accommodating for wide fluetuations in steam demand over a long period of time. Furthermore its use renders possible the absorption of all fluctuations between the output of energy from the friction generating device C (Fig. 2) and the demands for steam from the heat engine E, and it also permits steam at a definite temperature and pressure to be applied to the heat engine.

The friction generating device C, in the example shown at Figure 2 is constituted by a pair of paddles c, c rotatably mounted on the shaft 6 driven by the water turbine B.

It has been found that in order to absorb 1000 H. P. at lOO revolutlons per minute, in

cases where the blades aresituated at a distance of 3 feet from the axis of rotation, the

' total blade area which is necessary isapproximately 14 square feet, or say two blades each 2.6"by 2.6. -The maximumpr'essure reached within the heat accumulator, should not exceed approximately 200 lbs. per square inch as this pressure is generally considered to be the maximum for cylindrical boilers, and the minimum pressure should not be less than 10 lbs. per square inch as thisjpressure is about thelowest at which a stearn'turbine will work efliciently. In the first instance the equivalent temperature'will be 388 F. and

in the latter case 240 F, representingfa temperature drop of 148 Fpbetween the maximum and minimum pressures. The storing capacity of a ton of water is therefore 148 2240=330,000 B] t. u.s or, allowing 1100B. t.'u.s per lb. of steam, 800 lbs. of steam. Assuming 13 lbs. of steam per kilowatt hour to be the minimum consumption of a large turbo-generator working at pressures varying from 200 lbs. to 10 lbs.,the I tot-a1 storing capacity of a ton of water will,

in this case be =2 3 kiloatt hours.

Referring to Figure 4,.A indicates a discontinuous source of'hydraulic energy; B is a Water turbine; C is a direct current genera-I tor; D is a friction device rotating in a liquid medium, the heat energy Which is generated being stored up ina heat accumulator E; F is a heat engine such as a turbo-electric generator which derives heat energy from the heat accumulator E and G is a variable load liable to be on at all times; B is a mechanical connect-ion,such as a shaft driven by the water turbine B and adapted'to drive both the direct current generator C, andalso I the friction devices D. As long as sufficient power available from the discontinuous source of energy A'to drive the water turbine 13 both the direct current generator C and j common shaft B toe friction devices D will be driven by the Asthe available energy from the discontinuous sourceA fails less and still less of the energy available from the water turbine B will be absorbedin the form of heat energy by the liquid in which the friction devices rotate, and at such times most of the available energy from the water turbine B will be employed to drive the 5 direct current generator C. During the ro-' the heat engine fromth directcuifre'n't generator C or from 'filn the modified arrangement -at Figure 5, I 7

1,1 are prime movers such, as water turbine;

2, 2are a pair of directcurrentgenerators and 8, 3-are friction devices'rotating in a heat accumulator 4. Each direct current I generator and each, friction device 3, is

located on a common shaft '1, 1*; "5 is a steam generator-supplied with-Water from the heataccumulator4. 6 1s a circulating pump for rturning'thefwat-er which does not form steam to the accumulator 4; 7' is asteam; booster; 8 is a steam superheater; 9. is a turbo-"generator; 101s a condenser; 11 1s circulating pump for the feed water and,

12 is a feed pump for returning the condensed water to theheat accumulator 4. i In the practical embodiment of the invention shown at Figures 6 and 7 which cor responds substantially tothe layoutshown at Figure 5,1, 1 are a pair of prime movers, one only being shown at Figure 7 2, 2 are direct current generators; 3 (Figure 7) is one of a pair of friction devices each friction device being mounted upon a shaft l drive'n bya double-rotor Water turbine 1. Through gearing 2 theshaft l also drives the direct current generator 2. Thefriction devices 3 rotate in a liquid, such 'aswater', in a'fr ctron 'boiler 4. The heat accumulator is part of the boiler 4 and has a permanent connection with it and throng-l the pipe4 the Water passes to the heat accumulators4, 4. From the accumulators 4, '4" the Water is allowed to pass along a pipe'4 into theiexpansion chamber or'steamgenera-tore where, owing to the reduced pressure prevailing Within said chamber, part of the Water is converted into steam. The steam enters the steam 'isuperheater 8 and from thence it passes to the turbo-electric generator 9. The steam superheater'8 is heated in any desired manner and a condenser 8 is provided for con-' densing the steam from the turbo-electric generator and returning the same to the friction boiler 4*. H isadam which separates a reservoir I from the sea or from a tidal river K, J is a sluice gate which is opened at high tide to allow water to flow into the reservoir I and at low tide this water is allowed to flow from the reservoir Ithrough the water turbines 1, l. a

Normally the turbo-electric generator 9 Will not be operated and the current neces sary to supply the load whichisliable to be on at'all times is supplied by the direct current generators 2, 2., When the electrical energy available from the direct current generators 2, 2 1s insufiiclent, or non-existent,

the turbo-electric generator 9 is brought into use and is runon the energy stored up in the heataccumulators 4. 13 is a motor generator set or converter for transforming direct I current into alternating current or alternating current into direct current as required, thus providing a complete self contained unit on the site where the discontinuous supplgof hydraulic ower is available.

y means of t e present invention a continuous source of energy can be obtained from a discontinuous source of hydraulic power in a much more economical manner than has heretofore been possible. Furthermore the 10 entire conversion plant is self-contained and i can be located on the spot where the tidal energy is available. Consequently, the use of large reservoirs at higher levels, such as has been proposed in the past in connection with other schemes for utilizing'a discontinuous source of hydraulic energy, is rendered unnecessary. 7

The invention can advantageously be utilized in combination with dams, piers, jetties, breakwaters or the like, adapted to fulfill their normal functions as such, but provided with sluice gates so as to form a dam or dams, as when so used, the additional cost involved in fitting said dams, jetties, breakwaters or the like, with the present invention is not prohibitive and provides a cheap source of ener y.- v V g vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is I In an organization comprising'a driven shaft and power-absorbing means operated by said shaft, :1 combined heat-accumulator and steam generator plant comprising a closed water tank of substantial capacity and a friction brake applied to said shaft and v disposed in heat-exchange relation with the water in said tank.

- PAUL SHISHKOFF. 

